Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the levels of debt in UK universities.

Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous institutions responsible for their own financial sustainability. The department’s role and priority is to work with the Office for Students (OfS) and other stakeholders as appropriate to protect students’ best interests.

The OfS is responsible for monitoring the financial sustainability of registered HE providers in England. Its latest report on the financial health of the sector, which was published in May 2023, found that the overall aggregate financial position of universities was sound. However, there continue to be quite significant differences between individual providers, both across the sector and within peer groups.

The department will continue to work closely with the OfS and many parties including a variety of HE providers across the sector, mission groups and other government departments to understand the ongoing impacts and changing landscape of financial sustainability in the sector.